Saturday, September 4, 2021

Southbank, Without Elephants


After work yesterday I was scheduled to meet my friend Sally at Southbank for a movie screening. We weren't getting together until 7:30 and I was off work at 4:30, so I had several hours to kill and decided to wander through the parks of London to reach my destination.

My original inspiration for this plan was to see the Marble Arch Mound, which has been widely derided as a boondoggle since it opened a few months ago. I did indeed see it from the outside, but I hadn't pre-booked a ticket and apparently you can't just walk up to it and visit -- at least not at 5 p.m., when it closes. (And why on earth does it close exactly at the time when most people are getting out of work and thus would be able to visit? How about some weekday evening hours, people?)

I just kept walking south through Hyde Park, past the Wellington Arch and down to Green Park, where Sally had told me a herd of elephants was on display. Sadly, the elephants have apparently moved on, but it was still a nice walk. I continued on through St. James Park and over the Westminster Bridge to Southbank.


I got there with plenty of time to spare, so I stopped for a pint at the Southbank Centre's Riverside Terrace and watched the parade of humanity along the riverwalk below.


I even saw some people swimming in the Thames, which I don't think I've ever witnessed before. I seem to remember comedian David Walliams getting all kinds of sick from swimming the Thames several years ago, so it seems pretty risky (not to mention cold!) to get in and splash around. Granted, Walliams swam for eight days and 140 miles, but still -- while the Thames is cleaner than it used to be, it's not that clean.


I also witnessed this enthusiastic procession featuring a guy with a speaker on his back blasting music, a woman carrying balloons that spelled out J-O-Y and someone carrying a big stuffed giraffe. I'm not entirely sure what that was all about.

I finally met up with Sally and we got some Venezuelan food (which was entirely new to me) at a food court behind Southbank Centre. Mine was a veggie version with black beans, rice and avocado in a sort of thick corn flatbread -- almost like a pita. It was good but also about the messiest thing I've ever eaten.

The movie was called "I've Been Trying to Tell You" and it's part of a retrospective of films by the music group Saint Etienne at Southbank Centre. It was visually beautiful, with poetic shots of beautiful people skipping stones and beautiful people jumping into waterfalls and beautiful people skateboarding. But it also seemed superficial -- there was no narrative, almost no dialogue and while it was pleasant enough to watch, it ultimately said nothing. As I told Sally, it was like a long Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement. I still don't know what anyone was trying to tell anyone else.

It was supposed to convey a nostalgic appreciation of the late '90s in Britain, and Sally said parts of it did make her remember her own youth (which, like mine, was well before the '90s). I think the movie would have been so much more interesting if the moviemakers had used real people rather than chiseled, sculpted fashion-model types. But as the director readily admitted in a Q&A after the film, he hired them because they were attractive. So that's what he was going for.

I didn't hate it. I just wish it had more of a message.


Overall, it was still a successful evening. Afterwards I caught the Jubilee Line from Waterloo and got home about 11 p.m. As I write this, I'm hearing the jackhammers back on our street for more pavement excavation to lay broadband cable or maybe water pipes. Urban life!

42 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

If I might be so bold, what does "This video is unavailable" mean?

Steve Reed said...

Oops -- sorry. I had it set to "private." You should be able to see it now.

Moving with Mitchell said...

You won’t find me frolicking in the Thames. The JOY March is curious. Maybe they thought people would simply attach themselves to the JOY and march with them. The director “hired them because they were attractive” doesn’t make me want to run out and see that. I look forward to your take of the Marble Arch Mound. I haven’t read anything good about it.

crafty cat corner said...

Lovely read, enjoyed it so much, reminded me of when we used to wander around London back in the day.
Briony
x

Sharon said...

That was certainly an interesting group of people you encountered. I read an article about "The Mound" somewhere and it was not very complimentary. I believe it said "interesting idea not executed well".
I haven't ventured to a movie theater yet. I'll have to give that a try sometime soon.

Anonymous said...

Such interesting photos, especially the last one with The Eye above a quiet street.

I have some knowledge of The Mound. Free use has been extended, but still you must book. The Mound does sound rather good though.

Our Yarra River is similar to the Thames, much better than it used to be but far from perfectly clean.

Tasker Dunham said...

Boondoggle! A new word to me. I like it.

The Padre said...

Fantastic Photos During This Outing - So Pleased You Were Enjoying The Atmosphere After Work - And Would Die For Venezuelan Food - Hell, Anything Other Than Burgers And Nachos - Anyway, Enjoy The Rest Of The Weekend

Cheers
P.S. How Is Olga Girl These Days

Ms. Moon said...

Well. An urban adventure. At least you got a good walk in.

e said...

I haven't seen the word boondoggle in a long time, will you attempt another visit?

Ellen D. said...

Too bad you missed the herd of elephants! That really looks fabulous. Do they keep moving them around or are they put away somewhere now?
That was a long but very interesting walk! Thanks for sharing, Steve!

Pixie said...

The Marble Arch Mound does look like an expensive boondoogle. A hill, wow. Very underwhelming and expensive apparently. We have parks built on top of old garbage dumps, which is what it reminded me of, but our parks are huge and not just a small hill. Oh well.

ellen abbott said...

they built that mound? it was flat land before? I read the description and I'm just scratching my head. okaaaay.

I think that movie would have bored me silly.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like an interesting evening. You did get to see some strange things, including the movie.

Colette said...

Boondoggle is a great word.

Vivian Swift said...

What a fabulous urban outing. You've seen more life in three hours than I've come across all Summer here in semi-lockdown one the north shore of Long Island. I think you must be an Attractor of High Spirits.

I love it that the best name they could come up with for the Marble Arch thing was, "The Mound". It must have been picked by a committee. I know, I know, in the UK "mound" is a word with connotations for buried Celtic treasures or hidden Roman ruins or Stone Age burial sites but still..."The Mound" is a very underwhelming brand name for what is supposed to be an experience that "brings renewed excitement to the area". If the designers wanted to give urban folk a real bucolic experience, they should have cut out the walkways and made it a real hill-climbing experience.

I think the Joy parade was what, in the 1960s, would have been called a "Be In."

P.S. I got Miracles on Maple Hill from my local library. The back story is very adroitly handled in the first chapter but the character of the father is annoying me. I get it, he's in a bad mood from being a prisoner of war in WWII (don't know if it was Axis or Asia), but it sounds as if he's been holding his family hostage with his unpredictable anger. I'm having trouble getting past page 20.

Allison said...

What a great walk! London really is the epicenter of great urban walking.

Kelly said...

The elephants in the link look incredible! It's a shame they had moved on and you weren't able to see them in person.

The Venezuelan food sounds delicious. I hope you had plenty of napkins on hand!

Linda Sue said...

WOW you do live in a better universe in London, you realize.

John Going Gently said...

I’m meeting a friend at the NT on Thursday x

jenny_o said...

The elephants are amazing! Too bad they were already gone, but apparently were sold for charity, which is nice to contemplate.

I actually like the idea of that mound, and according to the link it's not doing well in the dry weather so in a year's time it may look better. Too bad you couldn't have a closer look, and, yes, why do things shut down at five o'clock just when hard-working folks are getting free from their jobs?!

Steve Reed said...

It did look like the "JOY march" was gathering steam as it progressed!

Steve Reed said...

Glad you liked it! London is always an adventure.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I haven't heard anyone say the Mound is a mind-blowing experience!

Steve Reed said...

I have a mental image of Australia as a somewhat pristine place, pollution-wise. I'm not sure why!

Steve Reed said...

It's very useful, unfortunately!

Steve Reed said...

Olga Girl is fine and snoozing next to me. Yes, the Venezuelan food was great and a nice change from the everyday.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, it felt good to get out and hoof it!

Steve Reed said...

I will definitely go back -- today, in fact.

Steve Reed said...

They did move around in London for a while, apparently, but I think they're all gone now.

Steve Reed said...

The expense is what's so appalling about the Mound. It cost £6 million, which in an age of government cuts and austerity is unconscionable.

Steve Reed said...

It was indeed flat land. It's the weirdest thing. I'll write more about it soon.

Steve Reed said...

There's a lot of weirdness in the big city!

Steve Reed said...

Isn't it? As I told Tasker above, it's unfortunately very useful.

Steve Reed said...

The father in "Miracles on Maple Hill" becomes a much more sympathetic character as time passes. I hadn't really thought about the name of the Mound as it relates to Celtic or Roman ruins -- that's an interesting connection.

Steve Reed said...

Actually, I think New York is better -- though I hesitate to say it for fear of annoying the Londoners. :)

Steve Reed said...

You know, the messiness of the food was entirely my own fault. They gave me a napkin and a fork when I bought it, but I promptly shoved them into my camera bag and didn't think about them again. If I'd used the fork I would have stayed much neater!

Steve Reed said...

London is a good universe, without question, though it has its problems too. To steal a line from Neil Simon: "It's not Mecca, it just smells like it."

Steve Reed said...

Go to the Riverside Cafe! I was surprised how easily I could get a table given its amazing view over the riverwalk.

Steve Reed said...

Oh, that's good -- I didn't know about the ultimate disposition of the elephants. I wonder who bought them? What on earth would a person do with a gigantic wooden elephant? I don't think the Mound will last a year -- it comes down in January, as I understand it.

Frances said...

Thanks for the link to the elephants.... I hadn't seen them before. Aren't they wonderful! I would love a little one for the bottom of the garden. It would give the dog a fright though!!

Edna B said...

Wow! I'll bet the display of elephants was quite amazing to see. It's too bad they left before you got to see them. Sounds like you had a fabulous evening out. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.